Widely distributed throughout England and Scotland although scarce in
the north. Can be common where found; under loose bark, logs or in rotten wood, often in groups or many
individuals over a few metres of suitable habitat. In woodland but also around isolated dead wood on moors.
On heathland at the base of heather and under debris on exposed cliffs and high ground. Active at night when
it can be found grazing on Pleurococcus algae on tree trunks. In the absence of trees they feed on lichen thus
obtaining the associated algae.
By no means common around Watford, we can only qualify this by saying that over the last
few years (2004-7) we have examined a huge amount of bark by day and night. Found occasionally in
Whippendell wood during the summer; once at M.V. (2006) and once on Betula at night (2007). During March
2007 we found a large colony (around 50 specimens) under dead Oak bark in Scots wood, all were dead and hosting
to varying degrees a soft white felt like fungus, and all were assembled around a funnel spider's web, the spider being
present. It seemed obvious at a glance that the spider had spent the winter feeding on them.